Grovel! The Story and Legacy of the Summer of 1976 - Hardcover

David Tossell

4.29

82 ratings by Goodreads

9781905449439: Grovel! The Story and Legacy of the Summer of 1976

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1905449437 ISBN 13: 9781905449439

Publisher: Know the Score Books, 2007

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**Shortlisted for the Best Cricket Book at the 2008 British Sports Book Awards**

When England cricket captain Tony Greig announced that he intended to make the West Indies "grovel", he lit a fire that burned as intensely as the sunshine of Britain's long hot summer of 1976. Spurred on by what they saw as a deeply offensive remark by a white South African, Clive Lloyd's touring team made Greig pay through the exciting batting of Viv Richards and the frightening pace of bowlers Michael Holding and Andy Roberts. Grovel! provides a fascinating study of the events and social issues surrounding one of the sport's most controversial and colourful tours.

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Review:

**Shortlisted for the Best Cricket Book at the 2008 British Sports Book Awards**

"David Tossell's excellent study of West Indies cricket...confronts all the issues fearlessly and frankly. It is a highly commended read." --David Llewellyn, The Independent

"Enough dynamite to ignite the soul of even the most somnolent cricket fan...relevant, pithy and often amusing... this is a terrific piece of work." --Andrew Baker, The Daily Telegraph

"Excellent!" --Michael Atherton, Sunday Telegraph

Synopsis:

When England cricket captain Tony Greig announced that he intended to make the West Indies 'grovel', he lit a fire that burned as intensely as the sunshine that made 1976 one of the most memorable summers in British history. Spurred on by what they saw as a deeply offensive remark, especially from a white South African, Clive Lloyd's touring team vowed to make Greig pay. In Viv Richards, emerging as the world's most exciting batsman, and fast bowlers Michael Holding and Andy Roberts they had the players to do it. Featuring interviews with key figures from English and West Indian cricket, "Grovel!" provides a fascinating study of the events and social issues surrounding one of the sport's most controversial and colourful tours - as well as addressing the decline of West Indies cricket and its loss of support in the new century. As reservoirs ran dry during Britain's longest-ever drought, a bruised and battered England team struggled to withstand the brilliance and brutality of the West Indies.

The recall of battle-scarred veteran Brian Close, the frightening bombardment of England's batsmen at Old Trafford, and Holding's remarkable performance at The Oval are among the episodes vividly reproduced and discussed, while Greig explains his pre-series comments in a forthright foreword. Off the field, the 1976 series was given a vibrant backdrop and raucous soundtrack by the West Indies' fans, yet a darker undercurrent existed in a period of ongoing racial tension around the country. Featuring full statistics of the tour, "Grovel!" shows how 1976 heralded in two decades of West Indies world domination, changing the face of Test cricket for ever. It also contains statistical appendix and 'Where are they now?' section.

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